The historie of the Prophet Jonas .
The repentance of Ninivie that great Citie, which was 48. miles in compasse, having
a thousand and five hundred Towers about the same, and at the time of his preaching
there was a hundred and twenty thousand Children therein.
To the tune of Paggintons round.
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U Nto the Prophet Jonas I read,
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The word of the Lord secretly came,
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Saying to Ninivy passe thou with speed,
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To that mightie Citie of wondrous fame.
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Against it quoth he
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cry out and be free,
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Their wickednesse great is come up to me,
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance his vengeance doth spare
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Then Jonas rose up immediatly,
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And from the presence of the Lord God,
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He sought by sea away to flie,
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And went downe to Joppa where many ships rode,
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The fare he did pay,
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and so got away.
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And thus the Lords word he did disobey.
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Sinn is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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But God sent out such a mighty great winde,
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That a sore tempest upon the sea came:
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Which greatly tormented the Marriners minde
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Their ship being like to be broke by the same.
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And being afraid,
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no time they delaide:
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But each unto his God earnestly praide,
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Yet seeing the tempest continue so sore
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To lighten their ship they thought it the best,
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Into the rough sea, therefore they cast ore,
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All their rich marchandize ere they did rest,
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but while they did weepe,
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Jonas did sleepe,
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And under the hatches himselfe he did keepe.
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Then came the Shipmaster to Jonas in hast,
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Saying thou sluggard why sleepest thou so?
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We being in danger away to be cast,
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Rise, pray to thy God to release our great woe.
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for well you may see,
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that likely we be,
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Each one to be drowned without remedy,
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Sinne is the cause of sorrow and care:
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Then each unto his fellow did say,
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Come let us cast lots betweene us each one,
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To know for which of our sinnes this day,
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This grievous tempest upon us is blowne.
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Then truth for to tell,
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when wisely and well,
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The lots were all cast, upon Jonas it fell.
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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When they perceived the lot to fall so,
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They asked of Jonas immediatly:
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from whence he did come and where he would goe,
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Where he was borne and in what countrie.
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then Jonas replide,
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and never denide,
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But all the whole truth unto them discride,
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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I am an Hebrew you shall understand,
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And the Lord God of heaven I onely serve:
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Which made the sea and eke the dry land,
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But from his commandement late I did swarve.
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In seeking to flie,
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from his majestie,
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He hath laid upon me this great misery,
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Sinne is the cause of sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Then said the Mariners tell us with speed,
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What shall we doe with thee in this case:
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That this great tempest may cease in our need,
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Which rageth extreamly in every place.
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Cast mee in the sea.
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thus Jonas did say,
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For 'tis for my sake you are plagued this day,
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Neverthelesse the men were afraid,
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And sought for to row the ship unto Land:
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But could not prevaile the tempest so plaid,
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That they in great perrill of life still did stand.
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O Lord then quoth they,
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we humbly pray,
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For this man let us not perish this day,
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sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care, etc.
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But God through repentance, etc.
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Then tooke they up Jonas in place where he stood,
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And threw him out of the ship in the sea:
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And presently the fierce raging flood,
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With the great tempest the Lord did alay.
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and then presently,
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they all did espie,
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That the sea most calme and most quiet did lie.
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God through repentance, etc.
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The second part. To the same tune.
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A Great Whale fish the Lord sent that way,
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Which swallowed up Jonas immediatly,
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Three daies and three nights in his belly he lay,
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And there full oft to the Lord he did cry.
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Then God did command,
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The Whale out of hand,
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To call up the Prophet upon the dry land,
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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The word of the Lord came to Jonas againe,
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Saying goe to Ninivies mighty Citie:
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And preach unto that people most plaine,
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The words which I before shewed thee,
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then Jonas arose,
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to the Citie he goes,
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And daily to them Gods judgement he shewes,
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Footie daies after yet remaineth quoth he,
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And Ninivie then destroyed shall be.
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The king and the people of Ninivy then,
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At Jonas preaching repented full sore:
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They proclaimed a fast both to beastes and to men,
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And sackcloth and ashes most humbly they wore,
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and most bitterly,
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to God they did cry,
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Asking forgivenesse and craving mercy.
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For forty daies yet remaineth quoth he,
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And Ninivy then destroyed shall be.
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Their great repentance the Lord did behold,
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Their true humble hearts in every degree:
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To them his mercy he did then unfold
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And turned his punishment from their Citie.
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his favour and grace,
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he sent to that place,
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And all their offences he cleane did deface.
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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At this was Jonas greatly displeasd,
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And thus to the Lord in anger he said:
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Now well I see thy wrath is appeas'd,
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Whereby all falshood to me will be laid.
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and therefore quoth he,
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most blest should I be,
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If my hateful life thou shouldst take now from me
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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So Jonas went out of the Citie with speed,
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And on the east a boothe he did make:
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There to behold, to marke and take heed,
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what course with the city the lord God would take
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where God in one night,
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brought up in his sight,
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A wilde vine to shadow him from the Suns heate.
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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Jonas of this was wondrous glad,
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For great was the force of the Sun in that place,
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And he by that meanes a good covering had,
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But God the next day the vine did deface.
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so then the Suns heate:
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on him did so beat,
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That for this vine Jonas his anger was great.
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Sin is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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Then said the Lord God to Jonas againe,
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And dost thou well to be angry for this?
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He said I doe well to be angry certaine,
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Seeing my comfort so soone I doe misse.
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and better quoth he,
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it is now for me,
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To die then to live in this miserie,
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Sinne is the causer of sorrow and care, etc.
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And hast thou such pitty the Lord God did say,
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On this wilde Vine which sprung in one night:
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And in a night likewise did wither away,
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Which thou never plantedst, nor cost thee a mite.
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then why should not I,
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in tender mercy,
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Pitty this great repenting Citie?
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Sinne is the cause of great sorrow and care,
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But God by repentance his vengeance doth spare.
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FINIS.
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